Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-11-26

While looking for some specimens oi the tOloschs plant, for the herbarIum Ui an eastern bOtanist the other day, csmt upon the railroad track an found the rt seated two D. etty little Mexican giris aged about five snd SIX years respect. lively. l say pretty" sdvlsedly, Tor a. though they were bsre-toO.ed, poorly clad, decidedly unwsshed and uncomb ed, the intelligent expression of theII features and the bright intellect spark. Ing Tn their dark eyes, made them look pretty ID spite of the sad plight of theIr toilette.
 The children hsd evidently seen me me coming through the bushes, recog niZed me as sn acquaintance and were expecting me, for had hardly arrived si their resting place, when they both rose aud the elder extending her chubby lit- tie hand, said: ''Ob, mister, We are so glad that you have come along this way will you please walk with us until We come opposite that house yonder? (poipt- ing 10 en adobe house about 300 yards of aud sItasted amongst the mesquite bushes.)
 Certainly, ny child" sad I, "but why did you DO tsket the road further bs-k k, which crosses the track and leads directly to the house you desire to reaohT
 Because We are SO afraid to go through the bushes"
 Afraid, my child. Who would hurt you?"
 "The ghost, Sir; of the woman, Sir, who died the other day and who can find no rest, because she had made a VOW, aud died without fulfilling it." My mother came to town on that road the other d sy and the ghost came out upon her from amongst the bushes with three cries and three screams, (thres gritOs y thres cls- mores) and followed her some distance, until she arrived near town, on a run, when 1t disspt cared, This happened to my aunt Isadore slso. few days later on the same spot; you see the cemetery IS very near, just over there.
 But. my child, sad l, "there are tre- quently cattle grazing along here, and especially donkeys; the praying O. one of these latter coming suddenly upon people in the dark, from amongst the bushes, may we'll frighteD a timid"-
 "Oh. DO Sir, it was not in the dark at all, 1t was in plain daylis ht, ard both mother and aunt are very sure that 1t was the ghost of the woman Sir,-you see she died without complying with her VOW, and can find DO rest m her grave.
 1 took the children to the house. To all my arguments gently and prudently advanced the children had but one an sver Mother says SO. and she knows. and suntie too." they bsde me good bye, and thanked me kindly for my small service.
 Sad indeed were my thoughts after this occurrsnce. If sn old, toothless. superstition of "Ye good old timesr, well, let her. Bu, if bright, hopeful, intelli- gent children, whose innocent hearts should be filled with song and joy, with flowers and sunshine. have their young minds poisoned with fear. and such awful fear-then indeed do think that there IS cause for ssdn, ss. for deep re- hection and for remedy.
 In the fall of 1870 I heard 6 sermon in the Catholic chapel st Florence, then re- gently built. which impressed itself upon my mind to such sn extent that could quote It almost word for word. It treat ed about the foolishness, aye, the wicked mess of superstition, and although the Rev. Father who delivered it ass yet very young and hardly begun to master the Spanish language, he handled hu subject with such ease and eloquence, that. as said before. bis sensible words and explanations have remained engrsv- en on my memory to this day. and brought it ouce more vividly to my re- collection when I met those children. whose innocent happiness is being de. stroyed by the ignorance of those who ought to be their natural suides snd protectors ., s.